View source for Buckwheat

== Cultivation ==
Buckwheat is a short-season crop that grows well in low-fertility or acidic soils; too much fertilizer – especially [[fertilizer#nitrogen fertilizer anchor|nitrogen]] – reduces yields, and  the soil must be well drained. In hot climates buckwheat can be grown only by sowing late in the season, so that it blooms in cooler weather. The presence of [[pollinator]]s greatly increases yield.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Płażek |first=Agnieszka |last2=Kopeć |first2=Przemysław |last3=Dziurka |first3=Michał |last4=Słomka |first4=Aneta |date=2023-09-25 |title=The yield of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) depends on the genotype but not on the Pin-to-Thrum ratio |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-43059-0 |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=13 |issue=1 |page=16022 |doi=10.1038/s41598-023-43059-0 |pmc=10519966 }}</ref> Nectar from flowering buckwheat produces a dark-colored honey.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Federica |last1=Pasini |first2=Silvia |last2=Gardini |first3=Gian Luigi |last3=Marcazzan |first4=Maria Fiorenza |last4=Caboni |year=2013 |title=Buckwheat honeys: Screening of composition and properties |journal=Food Chemistry |volume=141 |issue=3 |pages=2802–2811 |doi=10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.05.102 |pmid=23871027 }}</ref>

The buckwheat plant has a branching root system with a primary [[taproot]] that reaches deeply into moist soil.<ref name="Stone-1906">{{cite report |last=Stone |first=J.L. |year=1906 |title=Buckwheat |department=Agricultural experiment station of the College of Agriculture Department of Agronomy |series=Bulletin |volume=238 |pages=184–193 |place=Ithaca, NY |publisher=[[Cornell University]]}}</ref> It grows {{convert|75|to|125|cm|in|round=5|abbr=off}} tall.<ref name="Björkman-2008">{{cite report |first1=T. |last1=Björkman |first2=R.R. |last2=Bellinder |first3=R.R. |last3=Hahn |first4=J. |last4=Shail |year=2008 |title=Buckwheat Cover Crop Handbook |publisher=[[Cornell University]] |place=Ithaca, New York |url=https://www.hort.cornell.edu/bjorkman/lab/buck/handbook/main.php}}</ref> Buckwheat has tetrahedral seeds and produces a flower that is usually white, although can also be pink or yellow.<ref name="Li-2001">{{cite journal |last1=Li |first1=S. |last2=Zhang |first2=Q.H. |year=2001 |title=Advances in the development of functional foods from buckwheat |journal=Food Science and Nutrition |volume=41 |issue=6 |pages=451–464 |doi=10.1080/20014091091887 |pmid=11592684 |s2cid=13049923 }}</ref> Buckwheat branches freely, as opposed to [[Tiller (botany)|tillering]] or producing suckers, enabling more complete adaption to its environment than other cereal crops.<ref name="Stone-1906"/>

Buckwheat is raised for grain where only a brief time is available for growth, either because the buckwheat is an early or a second crop in the season, or because the total growing season is limited. It establishes quickly, which suppresses summer weeds, and can be a reliable [[cover crop]] in summer to fit a small slot of warm season.<ref name="Björkman-2008"/> Buckwheat has a growing period of only 10–12 weeks<ref>{{cite report |collaboration=Agriculture Canada |year=1978 |title=Growing Buckwheat |place=Ottawa, Canada |publisher=[[Canadian Department of Agriculture]]}}</ref> and it can be grown in high latitude or northern areas.<ref>{{cite report |last1=Quisenberry |first1=K.S. |last2=Taylor |first2=J.W. |year=1939 |title=Growing Buckwheat |series=Farmers' bulletin |volume=1835 |pages=1–17 |place=Washington, DC |publisher=[[U.S. Department of Agriculture]] }}</ref> Buckwheat is sometimes used as a [[green manure]], as a plant for [[erosion]] control or as wildlife cover and feed.<ref name="Björkman-2008"/> It may be used as a pollen and nectar source to increase natural predator numbers for [[biological control]] of crop pests.<ref name="Gurr-2017">{{cite journal |last1=Gurr |first1=Geoff M. |last2=Wratten |first2=Steve D. |last3=Landis |first3=Douglas A. |last4=You |first4=Minsheng |title=Habitat Management to Suppress Pest Populations: Progress and Prospects |journal=[[Annual Review of Entomology]] |volume=62 |issue=1 |date=31 January 2017 |doi=10.1146/annurev-ento-031616-035050 |pages=91–109 |pmid=27813664 }}</ref>

<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=160 heights=160>
Buckwheat Bhutan.jpg|Field of buckwheat in [[Bumthang Province|Bumthang]] (Bhutan)
Buckwheat field near Vrchovina in Czech Republic.jpg|Buckwheat field near Vrchovina in the [[Czech Republic]]
</gallery>